New Beginnings
by Keep It Lowkey
Summary: Picks up very near the end of Book 1, Chapter 12: Endgame. Korra has gotten her bending back and now it's time for the Avatar to usher in a new era of peace and balance in the world, starting with restoring peace to a war-torn Republic City. Rating may change.
1. Restored

**Hey everyone! I know I probably have no business writing this story especially since I've neglected my other one for a while now, but I wanted to write this, and it's not even for the same show as the other one, so I did. There's likely to be some grammar errors because I wrote it quickly. **

**Just FYI, I'm not a huge Mako fan, but I'll try to be fair to him. This isn't really a shipping story though, so even if it doesn't end up with the ship you want, if any shipping takes place at all, I hope you'll give it a chance. **

**Also, I don't anticipate this being a terribly long story. Maybe 10 to 15 chapters. We'll see where it goes.**

**I absolutely love Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra. I wish I owned them, but alas, I do not. That's probably for the best though. **

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Chapter 1: Restored

A part of Korra was in disbelief. How had things changed so quickly? Just moments ago, she had only been an airbender, and now, suddenly, she had her other types of bending back and was telling Mako that she loved him and was kissing him. She had everything she wanted. She had finally become a fully realized Avatar, and she had Mako. But then why didn't this feel right? She certainly enjoyed kissing him, but she felt that it was wrong, and dirty. And suddenly Asami popped into her head and it all made sense, and she came back to reality. She didn't really have Mako yet. Sure, he had told her that he loved her, but he was still technically Asami's.

"Wait, Mako, this isn't right. We need to stop this," she said to him as she pushed him back.

"What? What are you talking about? What's wrong with this?" he asked, more than a little bit confused.

"This isn't right. You still haven't figured out where you stand with Asami. Even if you _are_ going to break up with her, you haven't yet. And until you do, this isn't fair to her, or to me. I won't be that girl. Mako, I love you, I do, but you need to figure things out with Asami before anything can happen between us."

Mako was silent. He stared at her and considered her words before giving her a small nod.

"Great. Now let's get back to everyone. They have to know what just happened," she said.

"Wait! You're going to tell everyone about how we just kissed?" Mako asked in shock.

Korra let out a snort. "I was talking about me getting my bending back you buffoon."

"Oh… that would make a lot more sense," he conceded.

Korra ran over excitedly and hopped onto Naga's back. "You coming or what?" she called out to Mako.

"Actually, I think I'm going to walk. I could use the time to clear my head and think. I'll be fine. You go ahead though," he answered.

Korra pierced him with her penetrating blue gaze, searching his eyes. She saw confusion and conflict and realized that he did need the time to think. She gave him a nod then turned and urged Naga back to the White Lotus compound.

When they arrived, Korra decided that before she told them all about Aang restoring her bending, she wanted to talk to Asami. She walked into the room where they had all been sitting looking very downcast. When she entered, all the eyes in the room turned to look at her and Tenzin rose to his feet.

"Korra—," he began softly, but was cut off by her holding up a hand.

"Just give me a minute, Tenzin. Uh, Asami, could I talk to you in private?"

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, but Asami's most of all. What could Korra possibly have to say to her? What could she do to help this situation? The Avatar's bending had been taken away and she wants to talk to Asami?

"Ok, I guess…" Asami responded with uncertainty. She followed as Korra went back outside. When they had gotten out of earshot of the house, Asami was about to ask what Korra wanted to talk about, when Korra beat her to it.

"Asami, I owe you an apology. I haven't been a very good friend to you. After everything you've done for me, all the sacrifices that you've made and the way I treated you, I just… I want you to know how sorry I am about everything," Korra said, her eyes pleading with Asami to forgive her. Asami was taken aback.

"Wha—What are you talking about Korra? What do you mean?"

"All of this stuff with Mako. It wasn't fair to you. I should have done a better job of controlling my feelings for him. I should have been more upfront with you about it too. I should have told you about how he and I kissed. You didn't deserve that from us, and you certainly didn't deserve to be lied to. And just now, I told him I loved him and we kissed, but I stopped it. I stopped it, Asami, because it wasn't right. He hadn't talked to you or ever figured out exactly where you two stood, and I couldn't keep doing that knowing that it was hurting you. I told him that nothing could happen with us until he talked to you. I know I don't deserve it, but do you think you might ever be able to forgive me Asami?" Korra pleaded with her.

Asami just stared at her and processed all of this before she let out a loud laugh. "Korra, you've been through so much and this is what you're worried about right now? Don't worry. I've seen the writing on the wall for a while now. I've known that Mako and I wouldn't last much longer. Of course I forgive you! I appreciate your honesty with me now. Honestly, I don't think Mako was fair to you either. You were honest with him about your feelings from very early on, even before he and I were completely official. He led us both on. Boys are just jerks sometimes. Wow. I would have thought you'd be upset about your bending. How are you doing with that, anyways? I can't imagine what you must be going through."

"Yeah, well about that… Come on back inside. It'll just be easier if I tell everyone together. But for now, just know that my bending is back."

"Wait, what? How did that happen?" Asami asked.

"Like I said, it'll be easier to tell everyone together so I don't have to tell the story over and over again. So… are we okay?" Korra asked hesitiantly.

"We're more than okay," Asami answered with a smile. Korra surprised her by jumping at her and giving her a very uncharacteristic hug.

"You're the best, Asami," Korra said when she released Asami and started to head back inside. Asami took a moment to get over her shock, but then ran to catch up when she saw that Korra was already almost all the way back to the house. _Well that was weird,_ she thought to herself as they opened the door and walked back into the room.


	2. A Thousand Lifetimes in One Moment

Chapter 2: A Thousand Lifetimes in One Moment

As they entered the room, once again, everyone turned to look at them. Tenzin gave Korra a questioning look, which she answered with a smile. She decided to dive right in.

"Ok, well, I guess I should start by saying that I have my bending back," Korra said.

"Really? That's wonderful! How did this happen, Korra?" Tenzin asked.

"Well," Korra started off, glancing at Katara, "Aang restored it."

Katara smiled and gave her a nod in understanding. Tenzin, however, was not so easily satisfied. "Tell me exactly what happened," he said.

"After I left here, I was upset. I was sitting near the ocean and I heard someone come up behind me. I thought it was you at first, Tenzin, because from the brief glimpse of colors that I had seen, it looked like your clothes. But then he said, 'But you called me here.' I looked up and it was Aang. He said that I had finally connected with my spiritual self. I had hit my lowest pont, and was therefore open to the greatest change. All of the past Avatars appeared behind him. He then reached out and put one hand on my forehead and other over my heart and all of their eyes went all glowy. Next thing I know, I'm alone and feeling like I'm seeing the world through different eyes. Like my eyes have seen the world a thousand times before and experienced the pain and joy of a thousand lifetimes. I knew things I couldn't possibly know. I had memories of things I couldn't possibly have seen. I don't know how to describe the feeling. And then I bent all of the elements. And then I kind of came back to myself. Not to say I didn't feel like myself before, but it was different. Like, in that moment, I was more than just me. I was every Avatar before me, and every Avatar that would come after. I was timeless. It was like… like I was experiencing a thousand lifetimes in that one moment, and that one moment was lasting a thousand lifetimes. But then the moment ended, and I was just myself again. I was just Korra again."

"The Avatar state," Katara supplied. "It seems Aang did more than give you back your bending. He gave you the knowledge and wisdom required to control it. You're a fully realized Avatar now, Korra."

"But, mother, I still don't understand. How could he have done that?" Tenzin asked.

"Oh, come now, Tenzin, you remember the story of how your father met the lion turtle."

"Yes, of course. He was conflicted. He was desperate for a way to defeat Firelord Ozai without having to kill him, and the lion turtle gave him the knowledge of how to take away his bending."

"But the lion turtle did more than that. He gave Aang the knowledge of energybending. Yes, Aang used it to take the Firelord's bending away, but there was always more to it than that. Energybending existed long before bending of the elements. So obviously it existed for much more than just taking bending away, or in this case, giving it back. It is a way to share knowledge and wisdom. Aang gave her back her bending, but he also gave her knowledge of her true inner power."

"He also showed me how to do for others what he did for me." Korra turned to Lin. "I can give you back your bending," she said.

Lin's eyes lit up in hope. "You can?" She had been lost without her bending. It was as if her last great connection to her mother had been torn from her. Even though her mother had been gone from this world, she still felt her presence when she would earthbend. Toph had used earthbending as an extension of herself, as a way to get in touch with her surroundings. For Lin, earthbending had been a way to stay in touch with her mother.

"Yes, I can. Come, follow me."

When she stepped outside, she found that Mako had returned. She gestured for him to follow and led everyone to the Temple of the Moon that had been constructed after the Hundred Year War. She and Lin went up the steps and Lin kneeled before her. Korra put her hands over Lin's forehead and heart, as Aang had done with her, closed her eyes and concentrated. She reached deep within herself and tapped the spiritual energy of which she had been ignorant for so long. Everyone watching saw her eyes begin to glow . When they went back to normal. Lin stood up and bent all of the large rocks surrounding the temple. She turned back to the Avatar.

"Thank you," Lin said. Korra bowed her head in response, then turned to see Tenzin walking up to her.

"I am so proud of you, _Avatar_ Korra," he said. Korra just smiled. Tenzin had been like another father to her since she went to Republic City. It meant a lot to her that he was proud of her. She hoped to continue to make him proud once they returned to the city.


	3. Guidance

**Hey people. This is another one from the South Pole. I think this is enough exposition and that we're finally ready to get back to Republic City. These first three chapters served more as a prelude to the rest of the story.**

**Please enjoy and provide feedback.**

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Chapter 3: Guidance

Korra was both excited to return to Republic City, and downcast about leaving her home again. She knew, however, that after a week in the South Pole, it was time to go back. After all, there was still work to be done in Republic City. Amon may have been exposed as a fraud, and certainly, his departure and the arrest of Hiroshi Sato were blows to the Equalists. If anything, they were a bit more dangerous now. There was a large group of people in revolt, but they no longer had anyone holding the reigns. Things may have been bad, but even in war, Amon had maintained some semblance of order in the city. Now, with no one to direct them, there would be downright chaos within the city.

Korra knew this, and after meditating on it and seeking the advice of Aang, she knew what she needed to do. It was interesting to her how satisfying she now found meditation to be. Perhaps it was because she had overcome her spiritual block and now was seeing some results from meditation, but she now found it calming and refreshing. She was still nervous, though, about what the future held. She thought back to her conversation with Aang.

"_Aang," she said as she meditated. "I need your guidance." She thought this and Aang appeared before her._

"_Hello, Korra. It's good to finally get to sit down and talk to you. I am always available to you, as are all of the past Avatars. You just need to look deep within yourself."_

"_Thank you for restoring my bending and showing me how to do it for others. I already gave Lin hers back."_

"_Yes, I am happy to hear that. But you know as well as I that, though Amon may have been unmasked and defeated, we still do not have balance in Republic City."_

"_What must I do? I mean, when I get back to Republic City, the benders are going to expect me to put down the Equalists once and for all. And all of the people who lost their bending will expect me to give it back to them once they find out that I restored Lin's. There are so many people counting on me! And _should_ I even give _everyone_ back their bending? I mean, some of Amon's victims were criminals. Lightning Bolt Zolt was the leader of one of the triads. Does he deserve his bending back? Or is having his bending taken away too great of a punishment, even for him?"_

"_Well, let's start with the last problem first. I think that even the worst criminals from Amon's victims should have their bending restored. I only took bending away from two people ever: Firelord Ozai and Yakone, and that was only because they were unyielding in their desire for power and domination. There was no alternative that would allow them to keep their bending and it was that or death. They were uncompromising. I think, even the worst of the triads do have some degree of restraint, they, in their own way, have a very strange honor code. You restore Zolt's bending, and he will be indebted to you. You know how it felt. To someone such as Zolt, death may have been less cruel than to lose his bending. We can never know what the future holds, but having a man like that owing you something may play a large part in what is to come. It will help foster the respect of the triads too, if you do something like that. And do not forget, the triads were some of the people hurt most by Amon. Having their respect and cooperation may make the transition to peace easier."_

"_But how do we get to peace and balance? I can't just get my glow on and wipe out all of the Equalists! Not only would that prove their point, but also most of them aren't bad people. Many of them are just good people that have been pushed to the breaking point. The triads and Tarrlok's tyranny have pushed a lot of them there. Don't I risk further alienating them by restoring the leader of one of the triads?"_

"_There is always that risk. And you are right, balance will not be achieved by force or violence. You must show them that their concerns, many of which you agree are legitimate, have not fallen on deaf ears. Show them that you are their Avatar as well, and that you look out for their interests. You may find unexpected allies along the way. As for the triads, they will be out for blood, thinking they have been wronged. That is why it is important that you earn their respect, and more importantly, that they are indebted to you. As I said, they have a code to which they strongly adhere. If you say that the debt is settled by them forgoing vengeance, they will accept. They do not like owing people, not even people they respect."_

"_How do I show the non-benders that I'm on their side too?"_

_"That, I fear, is something you must figure out on your own. But I believe in you, for you have done it before. I will leave you with this advice. You may have regained the ability to bend the elements, and despite the Avatar being the only individual capable of bending all of the elements, remember that bending does not define you. We all have power within us. How that power manifests may be different, but ultimately, it is unimportant. The only thing that matters is what we do with that power. As the Avatar, it is your duty to use your power to maintain balance in the world and to stop those who would unbalance it. I urge you not to think that you must use force to do so. Respect earned through kindness and love is far stronger than respect gained by instilling fear. To earn the people's love, you must show kindness and restraint even when facing your most bitter enemy, and resort to force only when all other options have been exhausted."_

_"Thank you, Aang," Korra said, bowing her head._

"_Of course. Give Katara and my children and grandchildren my love," Aang said as he faded away._

Korra sighed. Aang had certainly given her a lot to think about. Everything he said had made sense. She just wished he had been more specific about exactly what needed to be done to bring peace and justice and balance to Republic City.

Korra sighed once more and headed back inside. Tenzin had said that they would be leaving in a few minutes, but it seemed likely to her that he would need some help rounding up all of his children.


End file.
